HP DeskJet 3760 All-in-One Printer Review: The Ultra-Compact Contender

In the modern home, space is the ultimate luxury. My desk, like many others, serves as an office, a creative studio, and command central for household management. It’s a constant battle against clutter, where every square inch is precious real estate. For years, the idea of adding a printer to this ecosystem felt like a non-starter. Traditional all-in-one printers are often bulky, beige boxes that dominate a desk and clash with any sense of minimalist decor. This left me in a familiar bind: either make endless trips to a local print shop for simple documents or sacrifice a huge chunk of my workspace. The need for a home printing solution became undeniable during a period of remote work and schooling—suddenly, return labels, school assignments, and important forms needed to be printed daily. The problem was clear: I needed the functionality of an all-in-one—print, scan, copy—without the monolithic footprint. This is the exact predicament that leads countless people to search for a truly compact, modern printing solution.

What to Consider Before Buying an All-in-One Inkjet Printer

An All-in-One Inkjet Printer is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for bridging the gap between our digital and physical worlds. In an era of cloud storage and email, the need to produce a tangible document—be it a concert ticket, a signed contract, or a child’s art project—remains essential. These devices consolidate three critical office functions into a single, cost-effective unit, saving not just money but, more importantly, valuable desk space. The primary benefit is convenience: the ability to print a last-minute report from your laptop, scan an important receipt directly to your phone, or make a quick copy of an ID without leaving your home is a powerful time-saver.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing the demands of a modern household, a student in a compact dorm room, or a professional working from a small home office. They value versatility and wireless connectivity, printing a moderate volume of documents and perhaps occasional colour photos. It’s for the person who needs functionality without the industrial scale of a corporate machine. However, this type of printer might not be suitable for those who run a business with high-volume printing needs or professional photographers who demand gallery-quality photo prints. For them, a dedicated laser printer for speed and text sharpness or a high-end photo printer would be a more appropriate, albeit more expensive, alternative.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: Measure your intended space carefully. Some “compact” printers are still surprisingly deep or tall. Consider not just the printer’s footprint but also the clearance needed for paper trays and output, especially for a device like the HP DeskJet 3760 All-in-One Printer, which is renowned for its tiny size.
• Capacity/Performance: Look beyond just the advertised pages per minute (PPM), which often reflects draft mode. Consider the input and output paper tray capacity. A small 60-sheet input tray is fine for occasional use but will become tedious if you’re printing a 50-page report.
• Materials & Durability: Entry-level printers are typically made of lightweight plastic. While this keeps costs down and makes the device easy to move, it can feel less robust. For heavier use, look for models with sturdier construction, though this usually comes with a larger size and higher price tag.
• Ease of Use & Maintenance: Modern printers are increasingly app-dependent. Check the functionality and user-friendliness of the companion app, as it will be your primary interface. Also, consider the cost and availability of ink cartridges and whether a subscription service like HP’s Instant Ink fits your usage patterns and budget.

Keeping these factors in mind, the HP DeskJet 3760 All-in-One Printer stands out in several areas, particularly its dimensions. You can explore its detailed specifications and unique design here.

While the HP DeskJet 3760 All-in-One Printer is an excellent choice for a specific niche, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

First Impressions: Is This Really a Printer?

Unboxing the HP DeskJet 3760 All-in-One Printer was a genuinely surprising experience. My first thought was that they must have forgotten to pack half of it. Weighing a mere 2.33 kilograms and with dimensions that feel closer to a shoebox than a piece of office equipment, it immediately delivers on its primary promise of being astonishingly compact. The clean white chassis with its vibrant accent colour is modern and attractive, a far cry from the utilitarian grey and black boxes that dominate the market. It’s a device designed to be seen, not hidden away in a cabinet.

Inside the box, the contents are spartan: the printer itself, a power cable, a USB cable for wired connections, and a set of starter ink cartridges. There’s no hefty instruction manual, just a simple guide pointing you towards the HP Smart app, which is the true brain of this operation. The build is, as expected for the price, entirely lightweight plastic. While it doesn’t feel premium, it feels well-assembled and is perfectly adequate for a device that will likely sit stationary on a shelf. Its diminutive size is its defining feature and the main reason anyone would consider it; it makes even other “compact” printers seem bloated in comparison.

Performance Under the Microscope: A Deep Dive into the DeskJet 3760

A printer’s worth is measured by more than its size. We put the HP DeskJet 3760 All-in-One Printer through its paces over several weeks, testing everything from the initial setup to its core functions of printing, scanning, and copying. Our experience was a journey of highs and lows, revealing a device that is brilliant in some areas and deeply compromised in others.

The Setup Saga: A Test of Patience

Let’s be blunt: the setup process for the HP DeskJet 3760 All-in-One Printer can be an exercise in frustration. This sentiment was echoed by numerous users, with one memorably stating it was the “hardest thing ever to set up” and that they “almost threw it through the window.” Our own experience confirmed this can be a fiddly, non-intuitive process. The printer relies almost entirely on the HP Smart app for setup, which guides you through connecting to your Wi-Fi network. This is where the trouble often begins. We experienced several failed connection attempts and network dropouts before the printer was successfully and stably connected to our Wi-Fi.

The instructions provided by the app can be ambiguous, and the printer’s own interface—a small collection of blinking icons—offers little in the way of helpful feedback. We found ourselves, like many other users, spending far more time than anticipated just to get to the first print. However, it’s crucial to note the point made by that same frustrated user: “once it was FINALLY set up its been great.” We found this to be largely true. After the initial headache, the wireless connection remained stable, and the printer was reliably available on our network from all devices—laptops, smartphones, and tablets. The takeaway here is that you may need to budget some extra time and patience for the initial setup, but perseverance does pay off with stable wireless functionality.

Print Quality: The Great Compromise

If the printer’s size is its greatest strength, its print quality is arguably its most significant weakness. In our testing, the output from the HP DeskJet 3760 All-in-One Printer was inconsistent and, for certain tasks, simply not up to par. We started with a standard multi-page text document. The results were serviceable for a rough draft, but upon close inspection, the text lacked the sharp, crisp edges we’d expect even from an entry-level inkjet. Characters appeared slightly fuzzy or pixelated, a finding confirmed by a user who described their prints as “pixelated and blurry.”

This issue becomes more critical when printing anything that needs to be machine-readable. We were particularly struck by one user’s experience of printing a return label that “could not be scanned by the post office scanner.” This is a real-world failure that renders the printer useless for a very common task. For mixed text-and-graphic documents, like a school report or a flyer, the results were more acceptable, with colours appearing reasonably vibrant for casual use. However, we would not recommend this printer for printing resumes, professional reports, or any document where clarity and sharpness are paramount. Photo printing on plain paper was also underwhelming, producing somewhat muted and grainy images. This is the core compromise of the DeskJet 3760: you are trading print fidelity for that ultra-compact form factor.

Scanning and Copying Reimagined (For Better or Worse)

The scanning and copying function of the HP DeskJet 3760 All-in-One Printer is both innovative and severely limiting. Instead of a traditional flatbed scanner with a lid, this printer uses a “scroll scan” technology. You feed a single sheet of paper through a slot at the top, and it’s pulled across a scanning sensor, much like an old fax machine. For scanning single-page documents like a utility bill, a signed form, or a child’s drawing, this works remarkably well. It’s a clever, space-saving design that gets the job done.

However, the limitation is stark and was perfectly articulated by a user who noted, “you can’t copy pages from a book, for example.” This is not an exaggeration. It is physically impossible to scan anything that isn’t a single, flexible sheet of paper. Passports, ID cards, thick cardstock, magazines, or books are all incompatible with this scanner. This is a potential deal-breaker for students who need to scan textbook pages or anyone who needs to copy official identification. The copying function works the same way; you feed the original through the top, and a copy is printed out. The quality of the copies reflects the printer’s general output—acceptable for casual use but not for important documents. The HP Smart app does offer a clever workaround by allowing you to use your phone’s camera to “scan” documents, which is great for capturing book pages, but it’s not a true substitute for a proper flatbed scanner.

The HP Smart App and Instant Ink Ecosystem

Where the HP DeskJet 3760 All-in-One Printer truly shines is in its integration with the HP Smart app. This is the command centre for the printer and, once past the setup phase, it’s a joy to use. As one impressed user stated, “The HP app has also been so easy to use with its scanning feature etc and now I can print straight from my phone or computer.” We completely agree. From the app, you can effortlessly print photos from your phone’s gallery, documents from cloud services like Google Drive or Dropbox, check ink levels, and initiate scans or copies remotely.

The printer also comes with a trial for HP Instant Ink, a subscription service where the printer automatically orders new ink cartridges when it’s running low, which are then delivered to your door. The plans are based on the number of pages you print per month, not the amount of ink you use. For users with predictable, moderate printing needs, this can be a very convenient and potentially cost-effective system. However, it’s important to be aware of the model. One user was caught by surprise, noting they missed the fact that “you have to have a subscription to use this printer.” To clarify, a subscription is not mandatory to use the printer—you can still buy standard cartridges—but the device is heavily marketed around the service, and an active internet connection is required for the printer to report page counts and ink levels back to HP.

What Other Users Are Saying

Feedback for the HP DeskJet 3760 All-in-One Printer is decidedly polarized, and after our extensive testing, we understand why. It’s a product that excels for a very specific user while frustrating others. On the positive side, the praise is almost universally for its size. Users describe it as “tiny,” “perfect to do my homework,” and the “smallest all-in-one printer I’ve ever seen.” This singular benefit is a powerful draw. The convenience of the HP Smart app and wireless printing is another recurring positive, with people loving the ability to “print straight from my phone or computer.”

On the negative side, the complaints are just as consistent. The “horrible to set up” experience is the most common grievance, with many users reporting hours of frustration. The second major issue is the print quality. We saw multiple reports of “extremely bad quality print which is just unreadable” and disappointment that the output is “pixelated and blurry.” The lightweight plastic construction also drew criticism, with one user noting, “I don’t think it’ll last long.” These reviews paint a clear picture of a device that asks the buyer to accept significant trade-offs in performance and ease of setup in exchange for its unmatched compactness.

How the HP DeskJet 3760 Stacks Up: A Look at Alternatives

While the HP DeskJet 3760 All-in-One Printer carves out a unique niche, it’s important to see what you could get by opting for a slightly larger or more specialized model. Here are three strong alternatives.

1. Epson WorkForce WF-2860 All-in-One Wireless Printer

The Epson WorkForce WF-2860 is what the HP DeskJet 3760 grows up to be. It’s a more traditional, feature-rich all-in-one designed for a demanding home office. While significantly larger than the HP, it adds a proper flatbed scanner, a 30-page automatic document feeder (ADF) for multi-page scanning, and even fax capabilities. Its print quality for text documents is superior, making it a much better choice for professionals or students who need to produce crisp, clear reports. If your primary need is productivity and you’re frustrated by the HP’s scanning and print quality limitations, the WorkForce WF-2860 is a fantastic step up, provided you have the desk space to accommodate it.

2. Epson Expression Premium XP-6105 Printer

If your main disappointment with the HP is its lackluster photo and colour printing, the Epson Expression Premium XP-6105 is an excellent alternative. It uses a five-ink system (including a dedicated photo black ink) to produce far more vibrant and detailed photos and graphics. It also retains a proper flatbed scanner for versatility and boasts features like printing directly onto CDs/DVDs. While still compact by traditional standards, it focuses on delivering high-quality output for creative projects and family photos—an area where the HP model compromises heavily. This is the printer for the user who values print fidelity over absolute minimum size.

3. Epson Expression Photo XP-970 A3 Inkjet Printer

The Epson Expression Photo XP-970 operates in a different league entirely. Its standout feature is the ability to print in A3 size, making it a fantastic choice for photo enthusiasts, designers, or anyone needing to produce large-format prints at home. It uses a six-colour Claria Photo HD ink set for outstanding, gallery-quality photo reproduction. It is much larger and more expensive than the HP, but it serves a completely different purpose. If your printing needs go beyond standard A4 documents and you have a passion for high-quality photography, the XP-970 offers capabilities that the HP DeskJet 3760 simply cannot touch.

Final Verdict: Is the HP DeskJet 3760 All-in-One Printer Right for You?

After extensive hands-on testing, the HP DeskJet 3760 All-in-One Printer reveals itself as a device of radical compromise. It is an engineering marvel in terms of miniaturization, successfully packing print, scan, and copy functions into a chassis that can fit on the most crowded of bookshelves. Its wireless capabilities, driven by the excellent HP Smart app, make mobile printing a breeze. For this, it deserves applause.

However, these achievements come at a steep price. The setup can be genuinely infuriating, and the print quality is mediocre at best, making it unsuitable for any task that requires professional-looking, crisp text. The unique scroll scanner is a deal-breaker for anyone needing to scan books or thick items. We recommend this printer only to a very specific user: the person for whom space is the absolute number one priority, above all else. If you live in a tiny apartment or dorm, print only occasionally, and primarily need to print simple documents or tickets from your phone, this printer could be the perfect, stylish solution. For everyone else, the frustrations and performance limitations will likely outweigh the benefit of its size.

If you’ve decided the HP DeskJet 3760 All-in-One Printer is the right fit for your minimalist space, you can check its current price and purchase it here.